Iraq to start registration for early polls

Cairo: Iraq will open registration starting from Saturday for standing in early parliamentary polls slated for June amid doubts that the vote will take place as scheduled.

Last July, Iraqi Prime Minister Mustafa Kadhim set the polls for June 6 2021, meeting a key demand for street protesters, who forced his predecessor Adel Abdul Mahdi to resign.

An iindependent electoral commission said Friday that it will open registration for political parties and alliances wishing to run in the upcoming elections. The registration will continue for a week ending on January 16.

However, doubts mount that the polls will be held on June 6.

The incumbent parliament has yet to approve a draft bill on the composition of a federal court, which is the only institution empowered under the Iraqi constitution to endorse election results and related challenges. Iraq last held parliamentary election in 2018.

Iraq has seen mass protests pushing for wide reforms and disbanding the parliament since October 2019. The demonstrations have abated since Kadhim took office in May.